"Is this working?" Umbra pressed forward, though forward felt an uncertain term. She was moving her hooves in a way that should propel her forward, she thought, but she felt nothing under them. She was moving, she thought. The fog swirling about her seemed to undulate slightly.
That it was actually gloomy and dark was, itself, confusing. She was a creature of the night! Seeing through the dark was part of the package. How could it be actually dark for her? And did her spell work? There was little evidence to seal the deal in either direction.
She could press forward, or try to call the whole thing off.
She was small. A foal's body, but no pony's. She was a monster, among monsters. They were gazing up at a larger monster, all of them umbrum.
"Children," barked the larger. "Our time approaches. When we win this battle, we will reclaim the surface as our own, and have to hide in darkness no longer. We will be gone a while, but not too long. Wait for us."
The children cheered and clapped eagerly, some stomping in place with wild cries. That was good news, a good thing. They would taste freedom.
Some advanced on the larger, pleading to join and help the effort. They were the larger and fiercest of the 'class' of small umbrum.
The larger considered them with a scowl. "This will be dangerous." That did not deter them. Oh! Umbra spotted Morning among them, standing proudly. "You do us proud." The larger led the smaller away, and the fog returned, thick and complete.
There was a note of finality there. Umbra could feel it. Her child would never again return to that nursery. Though the alternative was hardly better.
Darkness, a new kind. The sky, there was a sky, crackled with dark lightning strokes that failed to bring light to a dark pitched scene. There was calls and desperate cries. The defenders were locked in battle against the umbrum. It was a fight that would determine the fate of two entire species at once.
But there were two umbrum foals, not taking part. "We should be there," argued the male of them.
Umbra could recognize the other, Morning. "I feel something not right..."
"Make them feel something not right," roared the colt. "They need us, now." The moment of hesitation was enough to convince him. "Stay then, whatever." They stormed off, lifting on their dread wings to rejoin the battle.
Morning peered out into the shadow. "Darkness..." She could feel something... darker. Something that competed with the umbrum for supremacy of the shadows. It was vast and terrible, and she didn't know what it was or what to do about it, so she did little but listen.
She could hear ponies fighting and hurting. She could hear umbrum fighting and hurting. She could hear creatures dying, felled low by violent clashes. She smiled at that, hoping it was the enemies of her people, but she couldn't confirm that.
An explosion of power and light. Great darkness was banished. She could feel... a loss, a great and terrible loss as light spilled in all directions from their little palace. Morning was left alone on the street she had started in, spared only for having stayed away. "No..." She had failed her people.
Perhaps, had she not been dumb, she could have turned the tide of the battle, but she hadn't. Even then, she fled, finding a relatively safe little dark place to hide away from the world, at least until...
"It's alright." Umbra tapped at the fallen form of her child, there in the alleyway they had first met. "It's alright."
Morning sat up, tears streaming down her face. "Mother... How can you even say that? It is not alright. It is far from alright. My people died in misery, however terrible the nightmares they inflicted on the way... My friends, gone, some not even in the battle." She worried her hooves in fidgets. "Did they starve to death in the caves with none there to even care? That was not a fitting end..."
"I'm sorry."
"Do not say that," spat Morning in icy tones. "You are a creature of darkness! Your will was stronger than ours... That is the way it should be..." She flopped to her belly. "I am saddened... But it is the way it should be. Do not apologize, mother... You spit on their lives and their ways. Do you think they want to meet their end to somecreature whose lip trembles in sorrow for them?"
Umbra sat there in silence for a time. "I want to help you, but I'll just admit I'm not sure what to do right now."
Morning stood up slowly, shaking herself out. "You are helping."
Umbra sat up, waking suddenly. She looked around wildly until she spotted Morning sitting on her bed, watching her. "You're awake?"
"I roused moments before you, mother." Morning inclined her head. "You saw my nightmare. One of them. I was a coward that day. It meant I lived, but it meant they died. Maybe it could have been the other way around. Maybe we would have all died in misery together..."
The urge to grab up her daughter of nightmares was intense, but Umbra held back against it. "Well... I am glad you did not. You are mine, and are not allowed to damage yourself."
Cold words, but they seemed to resonate well with Morning, judging from her mild smile. "Of course, mother." She dipped her head slowly. "I am a prize of war, held by the victor."
Umbra flipped an ear back. "I don't like thinking about it that way."
"I am teasing, mother." Morning jumped to the floor with a light clop. "You are a creature of darkness, but your heart is light, under that exterior." Her smile deepened lightly. "I don't understand it entirely, but you are my mother, mother."
That was permission as she saw it. She reached for Morning, drawing the umbrum foal up for proper rocking hugs. "Tomorrow, we search for other umbrum, hm? And you do an hour of schoolwork."
"That was only one."
Umbra perked. "Only one what?"
"Only one nightmare." Morning crossed her arms. "You have only seen one, the most obvious. You have siezed this magic, once held from you, and laid mastery over it, as I was certain you would." Morning looked wickedly pleased in the skill of her mother. "Now is the time to take advantage of it."
Umbra slowly ruffled the flowing mane of her child, her own wafting a little, as if jealous. "Doesn't it bother you a little, having me there?"
"Why should it?" Morning raised a brow at Umbra. "I have already given you permission to see them. And they scare you." This fact seemed to be a positive in her mind. "And disturb you. What more could I want from them?"
Umbra sorted through that. "Doesn't it scare and disturb you?"
"When I lived through them," flatly denied Morning. "Now they are a part of my shadow. That my darkness is enough to make you hesitate is... exciting." She didn't sound excited. "You've made me happier." She wasn't smiling either. "I would share others, so you can know the true measure of your daughter. That was the last darkness before we met, but not the first." She curled a hoof on herself. "I am nightmares."
"Nightmares have a purpose," noted Umbra with a little smile of her own, one fang displayed. "They startle and disturb, but they do that to draw our attention where it needs to be." She tapped Morning on the nose as she spoke. "Not just to startle."
"Startling is easy." Morning huffed at the idea. "Even a foal can surprise with a sudden movement or sound." As if she wasn't one of those. "True nightmares work harder."
"Very true." Umbra released Morning to spring free to the floor. "Your nightmare, the one I saw, wasn't about horror, not one for me... I could feel your pain. No matter what you say, you clearly still feel some responsibility for what I, ultimately, did, and your people choose to take part in. A lot of creatures made up their minds and did their part..."
"Including me," noted Morning as if obvious.
"Yes... But also no." Umbra wriggled her nose. "If I had just let them win, or even joined them, well, then that wouldn't have happened. Should I mourn them? They wouldn't even want that. You said so." Umbra curled a hoof in place, the end directed at Morning. "What makes you think they want your tears more?"
Morning was quiet, pacing instead from one hoof to the next with a little frown. "This is why I respect you, mother... Your heart is not of darkness, but you come into it, to look me in the eyes and not whisper, but shout at me to stand up tall... You call me on my weakness, as a shadow, instead of trying to lure me into the light."
She smiled wickedly. "I do not deserve such a fine mother."
Umbra smiled like a predator at her daughter. "And you are a fine shadow. You are just learning it, as any foal your age would." How old was Morning? Umbra wasn't really sure. Pony ages were not well defined... "And it is my job, as your mother, to help you."
Morning threw her mane back with a flick as she stood tall. "A job you perform admirably, mother. I will do my best to shake loose the grasp of that nightmare on me, but I will hold it close. It is precious, and a part of my shadow. Still, there are others I would share with you, mother, if you have the time and desire."
Umbra felt a little crack there. Did Morning fear Umbra would send Morning away, flinch from those nightmares, and the darkness that made up her child? "I will witness all you have to share." She leaned in, nose almost touching nose. "I love you, which means I love those nightmares too, even if there is more to understand about them... and you."
Morning leaned forward, bringing the noses together in a soft bump. "Then I am still available to test, mother. Banish wakefulness from me and practice your new arts. We will learn, together."
A knocking came from the door. "Everything alright in there?" called Shifting from outside.
Umbra laughed at the interruption. "We're doing sleep magic, silly. Knocking and asking is a good way to interrupt that. Fortunately, we're awake, so you can come in."
"I thought I heard talking." Shifting slipped into the room with a smile. "I was just being sure."
Morning considered Shifting. "You are a creature entirely of light. Answer me this. Why do you court darkness?" She pointed at Umbra. "Does it not terrify you?"
Shifting came to a halt, squinting at Morning instead. "Why should it? Because of what she is? Pfft! I'm way scarier." With a rush of green flames, Shifting took on her changeling appearance, wings buzzing on her back. "A thing of nightmares, here to feast on your love!"
Morning did not seem impressed. "We are nightmare. You are just a predator. So long as your belly is full, you are no threat."
Shifting crashed to her haunches, returning to her crystal bat form. "That's a bit of a crushing reply. Sheesh... At any rate! I way prefer making friends and sparkly jewels to the whole changeling thing, anyway."
Umbra moved beside Shifting. "We're alike that way. Creatures of darkness and terror that would rather build and make friends, given the choice."
Morning tapped at her chin, but it seemed to click. "I see... You are both creatures of light wearing darkness." She perked up an ear. "Were you there, when she defeated my people?"
"I was a big reason she succeeded." Shifting stuck out her tongue. "Tricked that jerk."
Umbra inclined her head. "Changelings are creatures of deception, for good or bad, and she turned that mastery on them."
Morning let out a slow breath. "I see... I will become a true nightmare. Mother is helping me to be the best I can be. I will rise above you, and you will shudder in terror."
Shifting grinned toothily, her sharp bat teeth on display. "Looking forward to it."